Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree – Hattiesburg MS

How to Enroll In a Physical Therapy Program near Hattiesburg 39401

Hattiesburg MS physical therapy school student with volunteerObtaining a physical therapy degree near Hattiesburg MS is a critical first step to starting a rewarding career in the health care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been debilitated due to illness or injury regain mobility and function. But before they may legally practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they need to acquire the proper training and education. A PT must additionally be licensed in every state, many requiring that the licensee receive a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So prior to enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s important to investigate those you are thinking about to make certain they will provide a quality education and comply with your state’s licensing standards. What you do not want to do is choose a college just because it happens to be the closest to your home or it has cheapest tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that must be evaluated in addition to location and cost. But before we cover what those qualifications are and the questions you should be asking, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What Does a Physical Therapist Do?

Hattiesburg MS physical therapist helping patient walkPhysical therapists work in a variety of settings, such as Hattiesburg MS private practices, hospitals, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and sports facilities. What the facilities all share in common is that they have the equipment for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As previously stated, physical therapists help people that are experiencing a lack of mobility and in many cases pain caused by injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they create a course of treatment to deal with the mobility issues and lessen or eradicate any pain. They also endeavor to prevent any advancement of the disability. Although the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are numerous, they include:

  • Arthritis or Osteoporosis
  • Motor vehicle accidents
  • Head injuries.
  • Cardiac arrest.
  • Sports injuries.
  • Burn injuries.
  • Hip Replacement.
  • Fibromyalgia.
  • Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists work in close partnerships with other Hattiesburg MS medical professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. They may also supervise one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them assisting with diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to take note of for anyone thinking about getting into the physical therapy field, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists regularly lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and kneel, crouch and stand for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees Available

Hattiesburg MS physical therapist applying acupuncture to patientThere are 3 physical therapy degree options available for individuals to pursue at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these alternatives, the only degree that is attainable to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees emphasize either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or prepping them to advance to the doctoral level. Following are brief summaries of degree levels that are available in the Hattiesburg MS area:

  • Associate Degrees educate students to practice as physical therapy assistants, or can be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Applicants must have earned a high school diploma or equivalent to be accepted for enrollment. The degrees are usually made available by community or junior colleges, and take about two years to complete. An internship or other form of clinical training is typically part of the curriculum.
  • Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapist education to ready candidates to move up to the doctoral level. While they are not a requirement to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an integral initial step to practicing as a PT. Similar to most bachelor’s degrees, they typically require 4 years to finish and usually incorporate an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
  • Doctorate Degrees are required if you want to become a licensed practicing physical therapist. The degree program must also be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). In addition to the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes three years to finish, making the overall commitment seven years in most cases. Practical or clinical training is an essential element along with the considerable classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the completion of an internship is mandated, not only for graduation but in several states for licensing also.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) has taken the place of the Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), which has been eliminated and is no longer offered in the USA. Some practicing physical therapists having a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the existing licensing requirement for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapy Colleges Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Hattiesburg MSAlthough not as common as the more traditional alternatives, there are some accredited online physical therapist degrees available, more so at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on nature of the training, internships and clinical lab work are incorporated with the online classes. This requires that the student live close to the school campus or in proximity of a sponsored internship. Fortunately, the online segment of the course of study can be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Hattiesburg MS residence. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of cases more economical. Tuition might be somewhat lower than comparable on-campus alternatives, and expenses for commuting are minimized. And a number of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These advantages may make the online option the right choice for those students that are disciplined enough to learn at home.

Subjects to Ask Physical Therapy Programs

At this point you probably have come to decision concerning a few of your preliminary queries, such as the type of physical therapy degree you intend to earn, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much you can afford to invest in your education. But because there are so many PT schools within the Hattiesburg MS area and throughout Mississippi, you’ll have to explore other qualifications as well so as to further reduce your list of college options. Moreover, you want to make certain that you pick the college that is ideal for you. That’s the reason we have put together a list of essential questions that you need to ask the physical therapy programs you are reviewing. Ask each of the potential colleges these questions before making an ultimate decision.

Is the Physical Therapist School Accredited?  Ask if the colleges you are considering have earned accreditation from a national or a regional organization. As earlier stated, if you are pursuing a doctorate the program must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). If you choose an online school, it can also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s essential that both the physical therapist program and school you select are accredited, not simply the school. Also, make sure that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency. In addition to ensuring that you obtain a quality education, accreditation may be required for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial assistance.

What is the School’s Ranking? In addition to accreditation, it’s imperative that the school and program you select have outstanding reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are several ways you can look into a PT college’s reputation, starting with requesting references from employers that they place their graduates with. You can also check online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews also. Contact several Hattiesburg MS physical therapist centers or other health care facilities that you may have an interest in working for and ask if they can give you any insight about your school selections. It may also be prudent to contact the Mississippi Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been submitted against the schools.

What is the School’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a couple of important statistics that you need to find out about each of the physical therapist schools you are looking at. First is their graduation rate. A low rate may mean that students dropped out due to displeasure with the program, the teachers, or both. Once the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being placed in jobs with the support of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Hattiesburg MS area? If a school has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the health care community is good or perhaps excellent. It also verifies that the school has a wide network of contacts to help students get internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the School Support Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the program you enroll in furnishes both superior training and a curriculum that satisfies the licensing requirements for Mississippi or the state where you will be practicing. In every state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapist college. While licensing requirements differ state by state for PT and PTA graduates, many states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be performed and passing scores on additional exams.

Are Internships Provided? Find out if the physical therapy programs you are reviewing have relationships with Hattiesburg MS clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Internships are not only an excellent way to receive hands on experience in a clinical setting, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they can assist graduates and students form professional connections in the Hattiesburg healthcare community and help with obtaining employment after licensing.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the type of person that prefers to sit far in the back of the classroom or get lost in the crowd, you will probably want a smaller class size. Small classes allow for more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapy colleges you are considering what the average student to teacher ratio is for their classes. If practical you may want to sit in on one or more classes before making your ultimate determination. This will also give you a chance to talk with a few of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist tech program as well.

Where is the School Located? For many students, the physical therapist college they select will have to be within travelling distance of their Hattiesburg MS residence. Those who have opted to attend online classes naturally will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of concern. One thing to bear in mind is that if you decide to enroll in a college that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you might be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges usually charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges generally charge a higher tuition for those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Aid Offered? Most DPT schools offer some form of financial aid to their potential students. Find out if the colleges you are considering have a financial assistance department and see what kind of aid is available. At a minimum they should help in obtaining a student loan or any grants you might be eligible for. A number of physical therapist colleges offer scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a program because the tuition is too expensive, find out what financial assistance may be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must verify that the physical therapist school you finally select can furnish the class schedule you need. This is especially essential if you choose to continue working while attending classes. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Hattiesburg MS area, make sure that they are offered. If you can only attend part-time, check if that is an option and how many credit hours or courses you would need to enroll in. Also, find out what the procedure is for making up any classes that you might miss due to illness, work or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Hattiesburg Mississippi?

If you are planning on attending a Physical Therapy School in the Hattiesburg MS area, the following information may prove to be both interesting and educational regarding the location of your future Alma Mater.

Hattiesburg, Mississippi

Hattiesburg is a city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, primarily in Forrest County (where it is the county seat)[2] and extending west into Lamar County. The city population was 45,989 at the 2010 census,[3] with an estimated population of 46,805 in 2015.[4] It is the principal city of the Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses Forrest, Lamar and Perry counties.

Development of the interior of Mississippi by European Americans took place primarily after the American Civil War. Before that time, only properties along the major rivers were developed as plantations. Founded in 1882 by civil engineer William H. Hardy, Hattiesburg was named in honor of Hardy's wife Hattie. The town was incorporated two years later with a population of 400. Hattiesburg's population first expanded as a center of the lumber and railroad industries, from which was derived the nickname "The Hub City". It now attracts newcomers because of the diversity of its economy, strong neighborhoods, and the central location in South Mississippi.

Hattiesburg is home to The University of Southern Mississippi (founded as Mississippi Normal College, for the training of teachers) and William Carey University (formerly William Carey College). South of Hattiesburg is Camp Shelby, the largest US National Guard training base east of the Mississippi River.

Enroll in the Ideal Physical Therapist Degree Program near Hattiesburg MS

Picking the ideal physical therapy school is a necessary first decision you must make to begin a gratifying career in the medical field. As we have addressed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you choose should both have outstanding reputations and accreditation. But there are other critical questions that you need to ask pertaining to your college of choice also. As you commence your search for a physical therapy college, keep in mind that numerous variables will guide you to your final decision. You might want to visit each of the campuses to view their facilities and talk with active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this college help me accomplish my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By following our list of supplemental questions, you will be able to narrow down the field so you can make the appropriate choice. And with the necessary training and education, you can achieve your dream of becoming a licensed physical therapist in Hattiesburg MS.

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